


Entwined

by qookyquiche



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Domestic, F/M, Family, Friendship, Future AU, Married Couple, Married Life, married au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2018-12-11 03:23:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11705775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qookyquiche/pseuds/qookyquiche
Summary: It's been ten years since the defeat of Hawk Moth. With peace now a constant facet of life in Paris, save for the occasional robbery or the rare care chase, Adrien and Marinette are now ready to settle down and begin a new life together as a married couple.But while their partnership has been longstanding and solid even before they were wed, marriage now presents itself with new challenges that even their Miraculous powers may not be able to help them with.For instance, would parenting be part of that package?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> It has begun!
> 
> Hey guys! So if you've been following me at least since the very beginning of 2017 on Tumblr, you might have noticed that I'd been drawing a fair amount of Married AU fan art and posting it on my blog. That's because I'd been preparing for the time I finally get to tell the story I'd been planning since the very beginning.
> 
> I finally got around to writing it!
> 
> I originally wanted to make this a comic, but with my little self-confidence in comic-drawing skills and the rampant art theft that's been going on, I decided to try the writing route instead (even if I still don't consider myself a full-fledged writer). But it's one reason I did the drabble series, which takes place in the same universe as a way to warm up and get used to writing again after so many years. In fact I'll be referencing some of those ficlets from time to time in this story since some occur pretty close or within the timeline of this fic.
> 
> A warning though: I do allude to certain adult activities from time to time (they're married, it's perfectly normal).
> 
> I'd also like to thank sweet-childhood-dreams for helping figure out the perfect title for this fic.

“Good work, Chat Noir!”

Ladybug leaps down to the sidewalk at the center of a crowd that had gathered around a local bank. Next to her, Chat Noir grins, holding the collar of the masked robber as if showing off his catch of the day, with bystanders applauding their efforts.

“No problem, my lady,” Chat Noir replies as he tugs on the man to keep him from escaping. “All in a day—I mean night’s—work for this tomcat!”

“Heh,” she answers with a hand on her hip. "You’re no tomcat.”

He only gives her a smug grin.

When the police arrive, Chat Noir gives them a thumbs up as he hands over the man to be handcuffed. They push him into the car and escort him back to the station. This time, there are no reporters or red-haired journalists amongst the crowd of onlookers. When the two superheroes turn to each other, Ladybug doesn’t raise a fist. Instead, rising on her toes, she kisses Chat Noir on the cheek, earning her a dopey smile from him and pink cheeks underneath the mask. The crowd thrums in approval.

With a bid of farewell and a thanks to the authorities, Ladybug and Chat Noir leap back up to the rooftop. The sun has since set and the stars are out, not a cloud in sight. It’s a good thing too, because it means Chat Noir and Ladybug can spend a few more hours of the night together out in the city before their wedding.

They head for the Eiffel Tower in mirthful pursuit of each other, their laughter catching the attention of nearby citizens as they vault over rooftops above them. Nowadays, seeing the duo on their patrol has become a rare sight and people await their chance to catch a glimpse of the red spots or the black cat suit. It is hard to imagine it has been ten years since Hawk Moth’s defeat.

Ladybug lands right above the observation deck of the tower, her partner arriving only seconds later. They sit, legs dangling, as they watch the city lights twinkle as people mill about below them. She leans on him, head on his shoulder, no longer sporting the pigtails of her childhood. Her hair is short. A practicality for her, she says. No words are spoken between her and Chat Noir. Instead, they just relish in each other’s presence.

Chat Noir sighs as he lays his head on hers, his eyes drifting to a close, not out of languor, but contentment.

“So, my lady,” he hums, breaking the stillness as he crosses a leg over another. “That was a good run, huh?”

Ladybug nods, making a noise of affirmation as her eyes close. “Can you believe we’re getting married tomorrow?”

“I can, actually,” her fiancé laughs. “I mean, we’ve been together for so long, this is almost a formality for us, don’t you think?” His tail swishes against the metal. Behind them, a few people point in their direction, some taking pictures of the pair.

“I suppose,” Ladybug chuckles, ignoring their unplanned audience. They’re far enough that their conversation can’t be overheard. “But I wonder how we’re going to break it to the public that Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to be on a honeymoon after tomorrow.”

“Hey, we can always have Alya do that for us when we’re gone, can’t we?”

Ladybug shrugs her shoulders. It would not be the first time Alya covered for them, considering she now knows their identities.

The announcement of their partnership evolving into something more intimate had triggered roars of approval over social and news media. But, while the people knew of the budding relationship, most went through life unaware that the superheroes were getting married. Ladybug and Chat Noir had made sure to keep it that way until after they were truly wed.

Thus, they continued their patrols as always, a routine that, despite the years that had passed, never wore out in thrill. Public displays of affection like soft kisses, warm hugs and hand-holding became more frequent, especially after the declaration of their engagement to their friends and family. Many people swooned with these changes in behavior. But to them, it was simply a progression of their relationship.

As they regard the city around them from their spot on the tower, Ladybug swings her legs to and fro, lost in thought.

“Make sure not to be late,” she says quietly to Chat Noir with a smirk as she wraps his arm around her shoulders and rests against his chest.

“My lady, I think I should be the one telling you that,” her partner quips in reply. “And don’t worry, between you and me, Mr. Incredible was much more irresponsible.”

“Ah, referencing Disney movies now are we?” She quirks an eyebrow.

“Hey, it was a good movie, and oddly similar to our situation at the moment.”

“You’re probably right. Though I’m hoping we don’t get some fanboy-turned-villain in the process.”

Chat Noir nuzzles Ladybug in the hair. “I don’t think we have to worry about that.”

 

***

The ceremony in the City Hall is a quiet one, the morning sun’s rays streaming into the windows. Only close friends, including the rest of the miraculous holders, and family of the celebrated couple are seated in the pews. As the service progresses, they all watch with proud eyes as Marinette and Adrien exchange their vows. It’s a formal affair, and when they kiss, it is chaste. But that does not stop Alya and Nino from cheering loudly in the hall and their close relatives from clapping. Chloe nods with approval. They all leave quickly, as their second ceremony is to be held at the neighbouring church, by the urging of both the Dupain and Agreste relatives.

In the parish, the rows fill up with numerous guests from the fashion industry, more distant relatives, acquaintances and old classmates, in addition to their entourage. They all turn their attention to the bride as she appears at the doorway. As the music plays, Marinette steps forward with her arm around her father’s and she feels the flutters in her chest when she glances at the many patrons who have come to witness the union. Unlike at the City Hall, the sheer number of people nearly overwhelms her.

She beams when she sees Master Fu nod at her from where he sits at the end of an aisle. In front, a little girl, belonging to Mylene, waddles as she throws flower petals around her.

When Marinette reaches the bottom of the pulpit, the music ends. Her eyes lock with the iridescent green of Adrien’s, who stares at her in awe. Under his gaze, Marinette’s blush deepens. To the sides are Nino and Alya, the witnesses, who stare just as proudly at her as they’d done in City Hall, if not more.

Adrien wipes a teardrop from his face.

When her father kisses her on her forehead, it is all it takes to keep herself from crying. She steps up to stand next to her husband as they face the priest.

“You ok?” Adrien whispers as he tilts his head the side.

“Oh, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. Just, you know. Nerves, all these people,” she trails off.

“You’re doing great, Marinette,” he tells her as the ceremony begins.

It’s a simple affair, a blessing from the priest and not a full mass, but the time it takes for him to open up the podium for their vows feels like hours. She draws in a deep breath as she listens  attentively to Adrien who declares his vows to her in gusto. A few stray tears fall down her cheeks and he brushes them away gently. Then, it is her turn.

She speaks with clarity, despite her voice trembling with emotion. All the words she had prepared flow freely in her voice and more, as Adrien gazes at her with the same amount of attention she’d given him. She feels like she’s floating, but manages to finish her speech without breaking down in happy tears.

And when the priest finally concludes the ceremony, Adrien pulls Marinette towards him so fast she nearly drops her bouquet. He dips her down, kissing her with fervor in front of their audience. It’s a momentous occasion, with many of the guests applauding as they stand. Tears are shed, a few classmates holler. Master Fu steps out of the parish unnoticed.

After signing the registers, Marinette and Adrien, along with the witnesses, head for the reception venue to be held in the Bourgeois Hotel, the venue chosen at Chloe’s insistence. The couple is greeted with more cheers as they exit the parish. Pink and blue petals are showered on them all the way until they get into their limousine.

At the reception, Nino, despite his role as a witness, had requested to provide music for the event as their DJ, citing best-friend roles. That night, Adrien is glad he’d broken tradition and allowed him on the stage. As the wine and meals are served, a video show is played. Of course, their moments as Ladybug and Chat Noir are left out but Marinette brushes any mixed feelings about it away. She plays their more intimate memories as the superhero duo in her mind, taking a hold of her husband’s hand as the video finishes. Soon, a feeling of weary joy begins to seep into her as she steps down to the middle of the dance floor, hand-in-hand with Adrien.

“Ready, _my lady_?” Adrien asks, as he takes his wife’s hand in his and places the other on her waist.

“As I’ll ever be, _minou_.” She whispers the last word with half-lidded eyes and smiles up at him.

As the music begins, they start off with slow, tentative steps, gathering their energy for their solo dance. Marinette lays her forehead on his shoulder as he leads her around the center of the floor in an elegant waltz. She is careful, steering her feet so that they don’t trip as her husband twirls her, white gown sweeping across the platform. Murmurs of praise echo through their audience. As the song ends, he holds her close, marveling at her before placing a soft kiss on her lips. She grins and scratches his chin. Then, they separate.

The next dance is with the parents. Marinette and Tom occupy one side of the floor while Adrien and his mother take the other. It’s a lighter dance, as both pairs sway to the music. Tom congratulates his daughter with a heart-felt but private speech and Marinette feels the tears trickling down her cheeks. At the end of the song, she hugs her father as tightly as she can, whispering thank-you’s and I-love-you’s. When she glances at her husband, she sees him doing the same with his mother, though his words are out of earshot.

The music eventually picks up in energy and soon, the floor fills with other guests looking forward to loosen their legs in the beat. A few have taken one too many drinks and flail, their steps mismatched to the rhythm. Adrien and Marinette howl in laughter as they watch their friends and old classmates dance to their heart’s content. Kim and Alix decide to partake in a dancing competition while donned in formal wear. At one point, the inebriated Alix nearly rips her dress when she tries to somersault in her gown. When Max cries out the winner, Kim roars in victory, then pulls Alix up to join him in a breakdance. Meanwhile, Chloe watches the scene from the corner of her eye as she swings reluctantly in sync with Nathaniel in front of her.

On the podium, Nino fist pumps to the music set to autoplay. A few moments later, he finds himself being dragged by Alya onto the floor. Marinette watches in amusement as her best friend tiptoes to lay a searing kiss on his lips and he slips, falling over and bringing his girlfriend down with him. The pair rush to aid their friends. Seconds later, Adrien and Marinette are helping their best friends up from their tangle, laughing and teasing along with them.

The party lasts past midnight.

 

***

Tired and a little bit light-headed from the festivities, Adrien and Marinette make their way back to their apartment where they had begun living in a few months prior. Tomorrow would be the day they’d head off to their honeymoon in Palawan, a relatively untouched paradise of the Philippine archipelago. Odd choice, Marinette had initially thought. But during the discussion and brainstorming for honeymoon locations, they chanced upon the place on a travel website and Alya had insisted that “for the love of all dorkhood”, they’d go as far away as possible. She never realized she’d meant the other side of the world. Adrien had assured her that a tropical area would be a nice getaway from the usually temperate climate of Paris. Marinette could only nod at the idea.

Now, their luggage sits near the end of their couch.

Admittedly, the atmosphere of the apartment has not changed much, and while she would probably blame it on the alcohol, the feeling of being married flits in her mind as her now-husband tugs her toward him. They don’t turn on the lights, despite the darkness of night filling their room with its cool embrace.

Marinette looks at him, and sees some of his short hair has come undone from the combed look he’d held all day. She smiles and brushes her hand on top of his head hoping to fix it. He chuckles when she grunts in failure.

“This...feels weird, doesn’t it?” he asks, silver moonlight lining his features.

“What does?”

“We’re married now.”

“Oh. Yeah…,” Marinette pulls back a stray hair. “We are.”

A blush creeps into Marinette’s cheeks. They are now legally together as a couple. While they certainly aren’t strangers with each other, the new status has yet to fully settle in her mind due to the ceremonies and party activities. Maybe the honeymoon would help ease them in, she thinks. But tonight, at the end of the day, it is just them, no labels, no paperwork, no one else.

She shudders when his hand drifts from her back to her hip, poised to go down further. “You’re not going to turn on the light?” she asks, heat blossoming in her as if in anticipation.

Adrien shakes his head then bites back a yawn.

“We won’t need it,” he tells her in his sultriest tone, in spite of fatigue. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this, Marinette.”  
  
“Oh? Since that time in the alley when we decided to wait*?” Marinette clarifies with a smirk. She glances around. Their kwami are nowhere in sight.  
  
“Much, much earlier than that,” Adrien growls, touching his thumb against her bottom lip.  
  
Nodding, she lets out a snicker and allows her hands to roam to his chest. She tugs lightly on his tie.  
  
“I guess I should reward you of your patience then,” she says, as they lean in.

Inching closer, Adrien moves so that his hands cup her cheeks. Their lips graze and Marinette feels his breath on her skin. But before he can pull away, she seizes him harder by the tie until they melt together, full of passion and desire.

Marinette slides her hands to run her fingers through her husband...her _husband_ ’s hair. When they break, it’s only to breathe before they’re on each other again. Her mind wanders to various memories, from their first meeting to the stolen kisses, their many midnight rendezvous in the middle of patrol. Yet none of those moments compare to what is happening now. The energy between them builds, engulfs them like fire, like a rumbling thunder. Then, a tear trickles from one eye.

Pulling away, Adrien frowns. “Is everything alright, my lady?”

Marinette shakes her head, fighting back any more tears before she beams at him, hoping the moonlight would show her smile.

“I’m just really happy, Adrien,” she declares.

Then, with a yelp, Marinette finds herself hoisted in the air as Adrien picks her up and walks over to their bedroom, leaning in to kiss her even harder.

But when they enter, he doesn’t set her down on the mattress immediately. Instead he leaves her to stand at the foot, facing him. She quirks an eyebrow curiously but all she receives from him is a purr that has begun to emanate from his chest. His eyes roam from the top of her head to the soles of her feet, watching her hungrily. He brushes her hair back from her face so that he can touch his forehead to hers.

Then, her breath hitches as his hand drifts up to unzip her dress.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Please refer to this drabble: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9518165/chapters/23491353
> 
> And there you have it! Now this is only the prologue and it will actually take a couple more chapters before we really get into the main plot but please bear with me! This is only my second multi-chapter fic so I'm still not that experienced with this and with the new semester coming up, I won't be able to update all that regularly, so please don't ask or demand for new chapters.
> 
> I want to thank sarahcada, powerdragonmoon, edendaphne, baneismydragon, and geek-fashionista/PrincessKitty1 for taking the time to go over this chapter :)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	2. A New Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Sorry for the wait. I was honestly hoping I'd get this uploaded by last Saturday, but I had a few delays ^^;
> 
> This is honestly more of an extension of the prologue with a few developments but lots going on. Enjoy the fluff :)
> 
> Edit: I forgot omg, but THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE COMMENTS AND KUDOS YOU GUYS <3 YOU'RE AWESOME

When the post declaring Ladybug and Chat Noir’s two-week hiatus goes up on the Ladyblog a few days after their wedding, the city flares in uproar. Theories and reactions are thrown around on the internet, and coffee shop conversations fill with gossip and rumors over what could have led to the superheroes’ absence. The announcement overshadows the local celebrity news of the Agreste heir marrying his long-time sweetheart and, to Alya’s relief, no one bothers to make the connections. Unfortunately, the lack of public scrutiny doesn’t stop her comment sections from flooding with less-than-pleasant messages of either jealous fans or the increased number of spam bots.

Back in the hotel room in Palawan, Marinette waits for her husband to come out of the shower after a long day of island hopping. Contrary to her initial ambivalence, Marinette had found the resort a real paradise, though she suspected Mme. Agreste had a bit of an involvement in the arrangements, hoping making their experience ideal. Her husband makes no comment when she mentions the possibility.

The first three days were a struggle however, no thanks to the change in timezones and inevitable jetlag. But Adrien and Marinette had coped through sleeping in and lots of cuddling.

Tonight is their fifth night of their honeymoon, and Marinette is in the process of stowing their laundry away when Tikki flies up to her.

“Hey, Marinette?” The kwami appears in front of her face, grabbing her attention from the clothes she’d used earlier that day. “Do you have a cookie?

“In my purse, Tikki.” She directs her without looking, patting her hands down her baby pink night dress when she finishes.

The kwami flies into the opened pouch. After a few seconds she chooses to take the whole thing, cookies inside, with her. She settles herself next to Plagg on their make-shift pillow nest when Marinette throws herself on the bed, finished with packing up. She checks her phone. No new notifications. But right when she sets the phone down, it vibrates with an incoming message from Alya. Biting back a snort, she reads it before typing up a reply.

 

**_From: Bestie-of-honor  
_** **_To: Ladybride_ **

_I can’t believe announcing a two-week hiatus for the both of you was enough to overload the Ladyblog with traffic.  
_ _It’s going to take at least a whole day to get through all of these comments >:( _

 

Marinette checks the time. It should be around afternoon back in Paris. She taps out a response.

 

**_From: Ladybride  
_** **_To: Bestie-of-honor_ **

_I’m surprised too, a little amused actually.  
_ _It’s not like we’ve never gone on hiatus before ;)_

 

**_From: Bestie-of-honor  
_** **_To: Ladybride_ **

_Well, maybe it’s because you guys decided to get all publically lovey-dovey in front of everyone, then performed a disappearing act.  
_ _Now the whole city thinks you’re on a honeymoon_

 

**_From: Ladybride  
_** **_To: Bestie-of-honor_ **

_Which isn’t a lie._

 

  ** _From: Bestie-of-honor  
_****_To :Ladybride_**

 _You’re still cutting it close there girl._  
_I’m just glad your Agreste-man isn’t hounded by the paparazzi as much anymore. Quitting the modeling business did him good. No one’s suspected your identities  
_ _Based on what we’ve heard and seen in and out of patrol so far._

 

**_From: Ladybride  
_** **_To: Bestie-of-honor_ **

_Oh good. Glad no one’s been putting pieces together. We had to deal with one or two fashion journalists on the way to the airport._  
_Not a big deal. Just a coincidence really, it’s not that they stalked us or anything.  
_ _By the way, he hasn’t actually quit. He just only models my stuff now.”_

 

 **_From: Bestie-of-honor  
_** _**To: Ladybride** _

_Ah, the duo that’s been making headlines in the fashion world recently, of course.  
_ _Speaking of which, how’s the hubby? You guys enjoying yourselves? ;) ;*_

 

Marinette hears the bathroom door open and grins. Plagg berates Adrien for taking too long in the shower.

 

 **_From: Ladybride  
_** **_To: Bestie-of-honor_**

_One, he’s doing good, definitely enjoying the summer sun. Second, how detailed of an explanation do you want that answer to be?_

 

 **_From: Bestie-of-honor  
_** **_To: Ladybride_ **

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

Marinette scoffs at her phone and dumps it on the corner of the bed. “Remind me to change the nicknames on my phone, _chaton_. Ugh, I can’t believe that woman,” she gripes with amusement.

“What woman?” Adrien asks as he plants himself next to her and pulls on his shorts. The mattress sinks under his weight. 

“Oh, just Alya. Being a snoop as always.”

“Well, she is a journalist,” he shrugs when he unfolds his new sleep shirt. “Job description tends to leak into your personal life.”

“Oh, like how it did with yours, Mr. Model Smile?”

He grimaces before raising an eyebrow in a seductive expression. “You love the model smile.”

Marinette sits up so she is kneeling on the bed. Her phone buzzes with additional messages but she ignores them, choosing instead to trail her finger down Adrien’s shoulder before he has a chance to put his shirt on.

“Bugaboo, what are you doing?” he laughs when he glances at her.

“What, I can’t admire the model physique of my own husband?” she retorts softly with a half-lidded smile.

“I want to put on my shirt, you know,” Adrien remarks as he sticks his hands through the sleeves.

“Do you really need it though? You’re going to bed.”

Adrien pauses. Marinette continues her ministrations on his arm, smirking when her husband shrugs off the shirt and tosses it to the side of the room. Suddenly, he lunges back and seizes her by the waist, prompting a yelp as she falls back on the duvet with his fingers on her sides. She attempts to fight back against his tickling assault, laughing and squealing, accidentally knocking her phone down to the carpeted floor. She fails to notice her night dress hiking up in the tussle. Spotting the opportunity, Adrien pulls her in to blow a raspberry on her exposed abdomen and she shrieks, thumping him with her pillow.

“Hey! Will you two quit it? I’m trying to eat my cheese in peace!” Plagg cries out from his spot on the pillow nest. The couple on the bed ignore him.

“Let them enjoy themselves, Plagg.” Tikki chides as she nibbles on her fourth cookie that night. “It’s their vacation. They deserve their time of peace together.”

“They’ve had their peace for years, Tikki,” Plagg complains, waving his arms in emphasis. “Nothing happens anymore! There’s no...butterfly-man in a mask out to get us, not some...oh I don’t know, power-hungry supervillain, revenge-driven madman or woman, nothing! It’s been nothing for ten years now!”

“Ok. Plagg? Just breathe.”

“Honestly,” the black kwami’s voice softens as he gulps down another piece of cheese. “Why are we still here again? It’s not like we’re needed to save or protect the world or anything.”

Another shriek pierces through the room and Plagg covers his ears.

“You know what the Guardian said,” Tikki reminds him. “He wanted us to stay with them until he says it’s time. I mean, I guess it’s like failsafe just in case something happens?”

“Like disturbance of the Force thing, yada-yada?”

Tikki deadpans. “I guess. Bottomline, we just gotta trust the Guardian.”

“Fine, fine. At least I’ve been fed lots of cheese so that’s a plus.”

“And you love Adrien and Marinette.”

Plagg only harrumphs.

“Come on,” she cajoles, laying a little paw on his shoulder. “You know, even if Paris doesn’t actually need Ladybug and Chat Noir right now, it doesn’t mean they aren’t good for the city. People look up to them. They still help others a lot.” She takes a bite out of her cookie then adds, “Let’s just enjoy the time we have with them. It’s not really that long, all things considered.”

“Alright, I getcha,” Plagg sighs as he watches the two still scuffling on the bed, which had since developed into a heated pillow fight. “I mean, he’s one of the best Chat Noirs out there. I’ll admit I’ll be sad to leave him.” He spins to regard Tikki. “Don’t tell him I said that.”

“I won’t,” Tikki giggles then winks at him. “At least not yet.”

“Head’s up!” Adrien cries as an incoming pillow knocks Plagg off his perch. He yowls on impact, but the pillow misses Tikki only by a centimeter.

“H-Hey!” the kwami glares as he straightens up. “Watch my cheese! And you almost killed me!”

“Sorry, Plagg, my bad!” Adrien calls out as Marinette tackles him back onto the bed and begins peppering kisses around his face. Ignoring the kwami’s complaints, Adrien clamps his arms around her midsection, trapping her on top of him. She halts her onslaught and stares at her husband with a lick of her lips.

“Hello,” Adrien greets with a subtle wink. “You come here often?”

Marinette purses her smug lips. “Lately? Not without your help,” she drawls, sliding her hand lightly down his chest.

“Oh, no,” Plagg groans, rolling his eyes as he throws his head backward. “Tikki, come on, let’s go.” He taps the red kwami on the back after gobbling his last piece of cheese. As he floats up to leave, Plagg looks back, gasping when he sees his counterpart still sitting on their pillow. She seems perfectly content in gazing and listening to their wards’ exchange. “Tikki!!”

“S-Sorry! Sorry, I got caught up in the moment,”

He quirks a brow at her.

She shrugs. “What? They’re really cute!”

“They make me want to vomit,” he complains again.

Tikki puts her paws on her hips as she follows him into the air. “You just don’t understand the physicalities of human relationships.”

“Uh, yes I do. It’s gross. And way too noisy.”

“Plagg, we can hear you,” Adrien points out from the center of the room, his arms still wrapped around his wife.

"I don’t care,” Plagg hurls back, drawing out the last syllable.

Tikki frowns at him and says, “That’s just one part of it, Plagg.”

The black kwami mutters something incoherent.

“And besides,” she continues, ignoring his grumbling. “You don’t get to witness a bond like this all the time. Not all Ladybugs and Chat Noirs end up together.”

“Are you hearing yourself, Tikki?” Plagg gapes in mocking awe. “Can we just leave them alone now?”

Tikki scowls at him then sighs with a “fine” before following him as he phases through the window and onto their private balcony overlooking the beach. She waves at the newlyweds before it’s her turn to exit.

With the kwami gone, Marinette focuses back on Adrien who is still pinned underneath her weight. “Classic Plagg, huh?” she utters as she lays an arm on his chest and rests her chin on her other hand. Adrien has since released her from his tight embrace but leaves one arm to sit lazily on her back.

“Well, you get used to it when you live with him long enough. Underneath all of that attitude, he’s a really sweet guy.”

Marinette nods in agreement with a hum. “Yeah, I mean I can see that he cares, though…”

She trails off. Adrien eyes her questioningly.

“Is he that bothered about our bedroom activities that he has to make a fuss about it?”

He snorts, thinking about the other times the poor kwami made a fuss every time they’d started to fool around. “He thinks couples are gross, apparently?”

“Well, he certainly had no qualms when I married you,” Marinette remarks smugly.

“True. Probably didn’t think that us getting together came with some new level of territory.”

Marinette chuckles then pushes herself off him and strides over to the small refrigerator to take out a bottle of wine they’d opened the previous night.

“Marinette? What are you doing?”

“Getting a drink. Want one?”

“Uh...wait. I thought you wanted to-”

“There’s more to a honeymoon than bedding each other every night, honey.” She smirks.

Adrien sits up to scratch the back of his head, letting out a nervous laughter before taking the glass she hands to him. He stares at his drink, swirls it, then adds with a sly brow, “You know, I wasn’t the one channeling their inner seductress tonight.”

“Hey, a married woman can have fun with her husband, can’t she?” She takes a sip of wine.

“Well, I was expecting you wanted to have fun _in_ _bed_. And I had so many plans for you!”

“Oh?” She raises her eyebrows with a questioning look. “Pray tell.”

“Too late, you’ll have to wait till tomorrow.”

She moans in protest as she cuffs him on the shoulder. With a laugh, she shifts herself until she’s seated against the backboard of the bed, holding the bottle and her glass in hand. She beckons her husband to her and he follows, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV.

They spend the rest of their night talking, drinking and recalling the day’s events with amusement. Adrien throws a pun every few sentences and Marinette groans each time. The TV plays through a few movies, but the couple pay no attention to the screen. By the time the bottle and the glasses are empty, they’re snoring on top of the covers with the TV still on. When Plagg and Tikki come back later that night, they discover their wards in bed, passed out and fully clothed but completely entangled in each other’s embrace.

Tikki flies off to shut the TV while Plagg lets out a grumbling whisper. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

 

***

Their morning arrival back in Paris a week and a half later is met with a tackle from Alya, a grin of approval from Nino, and a few warm hugs and kisses from her parents. Later, Adrien and Marinette settle back into the apartment a little tanned and tired, but with new memories in tow.

While they unpack, Alya invites them via chat message to have a coffee double-date with her and Nino. Though a bit reluctant at first due to their jet lag and the fact that they had just come back that same day, Marinette and Adrien accept, finishing up whatever they can before heading over to their friend's apartment.

At Alya's home, their conversation centers around their civilian activities, including the honeymoon. Despite Marinette's requests for updates regarding the city, Alya refuses to mention their patrol activities, citing "Not much to report" and "You need to focus on you".  But to the dismay of the newlyweds, she attempts to steer the conversation into several topics on the intimate side. Thankfully, Adrien dodges the teasing questions, much to their friend’s annoyance and instead gives her vague ideas and stories of many “sickeningly sweet” moments. Alya makes a gagging face at least twice while Nino laughs.

But eventually, Alya gives up her probing questions, to her relief. Meanwhile, the four kwami enjoy their time together munching on their favorite snacks.

By the time they leave, the sky has darkened to a shade of purple and red.

The day after they come home after the get-together, Adrien begins his preparations for the upcoming semester, despite Marinette’s misgivings over his choice not to fully rest and readjust to French time. The day they’d arrived back from their honeymoon had marked the week before the new semester for Collège Françoise Dupont would begin. He would need to have all the syllabi ready and the assignments and exams scheduled for his next batch of young students for the year.

“Jet lag and coffee are my biggest allies,” her husband would tell her which she'd just scoff at and tack in a light warning.

 

Marinette, for the rest of the week, chooses to help her mother and father at the Dupain-Cheng bakery a few streets from where they live. The rest of her staff at the boutique had been given a paid vacation (funded by Mme. Agreste at her insistence during the preparation for their wedding and honeymoon) and are not scheduled to come back to work until the day before Adrien begins the semester. Instead of working at home, Marinette assists Sabine in manning the cash register or assisting Tom with kneading the bread dough or decorating cakes.  

Unfortunately, due to the hustle, she finds herself unable to really talk with her parents for more than five minutes. But during that time, she lets her parents know that they'd lost the snorkel Sabine's sister had given Marinette when she was only a teenager after a large fish had allegedly knocked on the side of their boat, tossing the snorkel into the water. While that was true, Plagg had been the one to lose the snorkel when he accidentally dropped it over the boat while they were island hopping. He’d been sitting at Adrien’s side, far enough away that no prying eyes would spot him when the fish hit and he'd let go of the swimgear. Thankfully, no one saw it happen and simply blamed the fish.

Marinette comes home to a tired husband and a tired partner.

As she had predicted, Adrien’s decision to immediately begin preparing for school affects his agility when they run their first patrol since arriving. At one point during another patrol a week later, Chat Noir misses a landing and finds himself tumbling down the rooftop of an apartelle, hitting the sidewalk in front of a group of residents and a shopkeeper down below. Caught by surprise, one of them snaps a photo. Chat Noir nearly gives in to the temptation to pose for more pictures before Ladybug hauls him back up to the rooftop with her yoyo. The shopkeeper manages to take a shot of her as she whizzes back up with her partner in her arms.

On the rooftop, Chat Noir cringes as he receives a well-deserved scolding from his wife. To his dismay, she cuts their patrol short in an irritated huff and leaves ahead of him. He manages to catch up by the time they reach their balcony. He cajoles her for a few more hours, assuring her he'll fix his sleeping schedule. A couple of kisses and bad puns later, Adrien’s in bed loudly snoring and Marinette is tidying up the rest of the apartment in puzzled amusement with the help of Tikki and Plagg.

 

Unbeknownst to them however, the photos taken by the apartelle residents are submitted to the Ladyblog. Alya posts the photos, along with an official announcement that Ladybug and Chat Noir are back in Paris. When Marinette and Adrien awake the next morning, they’re greeted by Alya’s link to her blog and a flood of comments welcoming them back into the city and congratulating them.

All they can do is smile at their phones as they ready for work.

 

***

The following night, after a long day of teaching, Adrien wakes up in a cold sweat and gasps for breath. He squints in the darkness, mentally pushing his eyes to adjust to the unlit room as his heart rate slows. He glances around, eyes darting from the windows to the ceiling to the furniture outlined by moonlight, until his they train on Marinette still bundled up underneath the covers. He sighs but clutches at the bed sheet. With a grunt, he sits up, running a hand down his face to wipe off the sheen of sweat on his cheeks and forehead.

“Adrien?” Marinette murmurs when he takes another deep breath. “You awake?”

When all he gives is a grunt, she adds, “is everything alright?”

“O-oh.” Adrien blinks out of his stupor. “Sorry, my lady. Did I wake you?”

She moans sleepily as she turns around in bed to face him, eyes still closed. “What’s wrong?” she mutters.

Adrien lets out another puff of air. “No worries, it’s nothing. Just a bad dream. I’m going back to sleep now.”

Marinette opens one drowsy eye at him. “A bad dream?” she mumbles. “What happened?

He nods, but wonders if Marinette can really see him in the darkness. “It’s not a big deal. I’ll tell you later.”

After a pause, Marinette nods as well, then flips over so her back is towards him again.

Adrien frowns. The dream had seemed familiar, as if it were a recurring memory. In his mind, his thoughts flit between the sight of blue eyes and brown hair, the little hand and a dark shadow, all mired in increasing fog. His gaze into nothing deepens, and he glances back at Marinette who has now begun to snore. With one more deep breath, he shakes the lingering thoughts away before burying himself under their duvet and falls asleep. The rest of his night passes by dreamlessly and the visions soon vanish from his mind.

No one remembers to bring up the subject of his nightmare.

 

***

A few weeks later, a one-eyed white cat finds herself being adopted by the couple and their kwami*.

They name her Emma.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Please refer to this drabble about the details regarding Emma's adoption :) http://archiveofourown.org/works/9518165/chapters/21984926
> 
> For more details of Adrien's dream, click here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9518165/chapters/23694960  
> (I'd say there were subtle changes between occasions, but nevertheless they are becoming a more frequent occurrence)
> 
> As I said earlier, the shorts I wrote all take place either within the timeline of this fic or after. 
> 
> I'm so sorry for the style/pacing inconsistencies if you noticed or felt that. I really didn't want to drag some parts on since they're not really important to the story ^^; Hopefully by next chapter, the pacing becomes much more consistent.
> 
> Also, since my semester started last week, chances are, my updates will become irregular. I just have a lot I need to be doing now like schoolwork, preparing applications and for a big exam that *might* just be the determining factor of my future so I'll be busy with that. 
> 
>  
> 
> P.S. If I think of a better chapter title for this later on, I'll most likely change it xD
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for more :)  
> 


	3. At Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...seems like the last update was nearly a month ago. I am so sorry for the wait!
> 
> Here's the new chapter, but heads-up. Thanks to the new spoilers, I've been thinking about adjusting the plot, so it's more or less back to drawing/writing board for me after this to figure this all out so I can include some of the spoilers that were mentioned in those clips.
> 
> (Yeah, I tend to like staying within canon as much as possible)

“Mama! Look at me!”

Standing across the park, Marinette watches a little boy throw himself from his mother’s arm and skip in a circle around. The toddler stops to greet the nearby people walking past them. Some ignore him while others return the gesture. When he waves at Marinette, she smiles and raises a hand before sitting down on a nearby bench and taking out her sketchbook.

She has a design to draft and put together. But instead of at her quiet but cluttered office in the boutique, Marinette has decided to work in the park, a welcome change in her surroundings. Tikki accompanies her by hiding in a pocket of her jacket.

Every several minutes, she steals a glance at the boy playing by the fountain with his mother. Her thoughts wander to images of cribs, diapers and curious little eyes as she sighs fondly and catches herself doodling little children of various shapes and sizes beside her sketches. She blinks her stray thoughts away then goes back to her actual task.

Meanwhile, the child continues to play near the fountain, scraping dirt on his shoes.

A few hours later, Marinette sets down her sketchbook, satisfied with her progress on her client’s designs, and begins packing her things. Her phone buzzes with a message from Adrien saying he’s home. As she reads his text, she spots the child at the corner of her eye approaching her, holding a flower to his chest.

“Oh, hello!” Marinette says, hoping her smile doesn’t appear creepy when the boy waddles to a halt right in front of her. “Whatch’u got there?”

“I..I…” the boy stammers, not meeting her eyes. Then, he holds the flower out to her shyly. “For you,” he says. “I saw you sitting there by your lonesome and thought...you deserved to have a flower. Mom said it was ok.”

Pink dusts her cheeks as Marinette picks up the dandelion from the boy’s tiny hand. “Thank you,” she tells him as she sticks the stem through her hair. The bright yellow contrasts with the blue sheen of her raven locks.

“It looks pretty on you,” the boy adds in a murmur, blushing furiously. When Marinette meets his eyes once more, he flinches. His mother calls out to him.

“Aw, you’re sweet,” Marinette says, before glancing in the direction of his mother. “But it’s time for you to go now, isn’t it?”

The boy pouts but nods his head with a hum.

“You be good to your mother, alright?”

“Ok.” He gives her one more small wave before trooping away.

The family leaves Marinette as they turn the corner of the park, unwittingly leaving her heart fluttering in their wake. For a few moments, she continues gazing in the direction they went before she zips up her bag with the rest of her things and heads home.

She brushes her hand against the flower nestled in her hair.

 

***

“Adrien, I’m here!” Marinette calls out as she closes their apartment door behind her.

It’s quiet. Except for the cat sleeping on the couch, the room appears to be vacant. Adrien’s bag is not where he usually puts it when he comes home, and instead lies haphazardly on the floor next to the coffee table, contents threatening to spill out.

Odd, Marinette thinks. His classes ended a few hours ago and he should have been home now since he’d texted her. But when she looks around the apartment, the lights are off and the sunset casts a shadow into the room. She flips on the switch, remedying the red gloom, and proceeds to close the curtains.

“Adrien?” she asks again. After a few more seconds of silence, the couch meows. A little furry body tucked into the corner of a cushion shifts lifts her head to regard the woman.

“Hi Emma. Is anyone here?”

The cat blinks her one eye at her then goes back to sleep.

Then, out of the corner of her vision, Plagg pops out from their alcove, looking a bit weary and bleary-eyed. “Marinette?”

“Hey Plagg. Do you know where Adrien is?”

“Oh,” the kwami yawns and rubs his eye. “I was napping. Uh, yeah he was here. Must’ve went to the bedroom. He was awfully tired when we came home so he probably went to take a nap. Like the one you ended up interrupting.”

“Ah, thank you, Plagg. And sorry about that,” she says, grimacing.

Plagg squints at her before flying back into their alcove. Tikki phases through Marinette’s jacket to float over her shoulder, looking owlishly up at their den. She glances at her ward.

“Hey,” the red kwami coos.  “Why don’t you go on over to Adrien and I’ll start getting stuff prepped for dinner?”

“You’re sweet, Tikki,” Marinette says as she takes off her jacket. “You sure you can handle it?”

“No worries! I won’t try to carry the heavy stuff this time,”  Tikki assures her. After a quick, affirmative nod from Marinette, she zooms off to the kitchen to begin opening cabinets. Emma awakens at the noise and jumps off her spot to follow inside.

When Marinette peeks through the door into the bedroom, she notices the curtains have already been drawn, with only a flicker of light passing through them. But as she inspects the room, her eyes fall on the man sitting at the edge of their bed, bent over with his hands clutching his head. He is still in his office wear.

“A-Adrien?” she asks.

Her husband slowly turns his gaze away from the floor to greet her with a silent but tired smile. “Ah, hi Mari.”

“Is… everything alright?”

“Um, y-yeah I guess. I was napping and I guess had a bad dream.”

“Oh.” Marinette presses a hand to her chest as she steps in, ambling over to sit next to him while dropping her jacket on top of the dresser. The bed creaks with her added weight. “You want to talk about it?”

A pause in the air.

“Uh,” Adrien mutters after several seconds. “I can’t actually remember what happened anymore. It’s all vague.”

“You sure? Seems like you’ve been getting a lot of nightmares recently.”

Adrien shrugs with a frown. “Not _that_ often. Once or twice a week at most but that’s it. It’s probably just another side-effect of the Black Cat miraculous. Really. I’m no stranger to them.”

“Hey, I’m right here if you need to talk about your dreams, Adrien. Aren’t they affecting your ability to teach?”

Her husband shakes his head. “By the time I get to school, I tend to completely forget about it. It’s alright, Mari. Don’t you worry about me.”

Marinette hums, still a bit unconvinced. But instead of broaching the subject further, she silently lays her head against him. His dress shirt is damp with sweat and smells of musk. But she ignores it and rubs her hand against his back. When her hand rests on his shoulder, Adrien lays his hand on top, stroking lazy circles on her skin. They remain in that position for a few minutes.

Adrien lets out a deep breath and leans a bit more into her.

Their moment is interrupted when Tikki begins calling out for help in the kitchen. Marinette poises to stand up, but when she slides her hand down, Adrien catches it at the wrist, pulling her back. She looks at her husband, contemplating him for a few moments before leaning forward to lay a kiss on his lips and slipping from his grasp.

“Why don’t you take a shower, Adrien? Maybe it will help,” she suggests as she rounds the doorway. “I’ll finish getting dinner ready.”

With that, she turns on the bedroom light and leaves Adrien in their room to refresh himself. Plagg mutters something incoherent from the alcove.

When she gets to the kitchen, Marinette finds Tikki kneeling in the middle of scattered parsley leaves all over the counter with a big sheepish grin on her face. Emma sits on the floor right underneath them.

“T-Tikki! What happened here?”

“I-I’m sorry, Marinette!” TIkki pleads. “I tried to get herbs ready for you but then Emma came in and started sniffing the bag of parsley and I slipped and spilled it.”

Behind them, Plagg guffaws, prompting Tikki to grimace. Emma meows innocently below them.

“Aw!” Marinette picks her up in her palms. “You really didn’t have to go through all that for me, Tikki. But thank you for this.”

“I wanted to, Marinette! Cooking with you is fun!”

“It’s fun with you too, Tikki.” She kisses the kwami on the forehead and chuckles. “If you want, you can still help me clean up while I’m here.”

Tikki nods excitedly. But before she starts to pick up fallen leaves, she flies down to face Emma who blinks once at her and purrs. Taking a paw, the kwami taps the cat on the nose. “Naughty cat!”

Marinette laughs at the exchange as she begins to clean the counter and sets up the rest of the ingredients for their dinner that night. Seeming uninterested in their movements, Emma pads out of the kitchen and jumps onto the couch once more to nap.

Plagg watches lazily from the alcove, shifting his focus briefly on the closed bedroom door.

 

***

With dinner ready, Marinette requests Tikki to let Adrien know it’s time to eat. Tonight, they’re having _sole meunière_. Plagg flies out of the alcove once more, mouth almost watering at the sight of the Camembert wheel placed on his side of the counter, and Marinette giggles. The bedroom door creaks as Adrien, looking refreshed and relaxed, steps out with a yawn, prompting Marinette to sigh with relief.

Her husband strides over to the kitchen as he brushes down his shirt. Once he’s behind her, Adrien sweeps Marinette by the waist as soon as she sets the last dish down on and presses his forehead to hers.

“Whoa there, feeling better now, are we, _minou_?” she giggles.

“A shower can do wonders, my lady,” he purrs as he kisses her on the cheek. “And oh dear, that smells lovely.”

“Tikki helped,” Marinette adds with a smug grin. The kwami in question brightens her smile at him as he lays a long kiss on his wife’s cheek.

“Hey, maybe you two can quit flirting for a second so we can eat,” Plagg grumbles, still staring at the small plate of Camembert in the front of an empty chair.  “I’m starving.”

“You didn’t even help, Plagg,” Tikki chides, glaring at him.

The black kwami crosses his arms in a sulk. Adrien chuckles as he pulls away, nudging his nose against Marinette’s for a second. As they separate from their hug, Marinette turns to Plagg with a grin.

“You know you could start eating if you wanted to?” she points out.

“Oh, really? You should’ve said something,” he cries as he plants himself down in front of the plate. He starts gulping down the slices of cheese at record speed while Tikki follows and sits across him to nibble on her cookies. She glances at Plagg in disgust.

“Come on,” Marinette says, as she tugs at Adrien’s sleeve. As if on cue, his stomach lets out a loud gurgle.

“Well, guess I _was_ hungry,” he remarks with a chuckle.

Before sitting down, Adrien pulls a chair out and gestures to his wife, who takes a seat with a nod of thanks. When she settles down, he sits across her and pours a glass of wine for each of them.

“So, you sounded a lot happier today when you came home, Mari,” he notes as he takes a sip.

“You noticed?”

Adrien nods, cutting his fish. “I might’ve been feeling miserable, but I know when you’re excited.”

Marinette giggles at him, her ring twinkling under the light. “How observant.”

“Hey, what can I say? I’m _claw-some_ at paying attention to detail.”

“Sure, Adrien, whatever you say,” Plagg cuts in with a stare.

Satisfied that her husband’s mood has lifted, Marinette smiles, taking a few bites of the fillet before continuing.

“I had a good day at the park.”

“You went there to work?”

“Yeah, I decided to stay there today instead of the office. Reneé and the others didn’t mind. It was nice and different, being out in nature. Got a lot of inspiration too.”

“That’s good,” Adrien remarks with a smirk.

“Yeah, it was. And look! A little boy gave me this flower.” She points to the dandelion that Tikki had placed in a little glass bottle.

“Oh, so that’s where it came from! I thought you just picked it off the ground or something. Like the Ladybug you are.”

“The boy was playing near his parents in the middle of the park,” Marinette continues, ignoring his flirtatious comment. “Honestly it was really cute.”

“I bet it was,” Adrien points out, winking at her. “You do tend to gush over these things a lot.”

“I do, don’t I?”

She finds his response in his content eyes.

“I admit, I did catch myself thinking things, though…”

“Oh? Like what?”

“Like… cribs… babies.”

“Not surprising,” Adrien shrugs. “What about them?”

“Oh...you know.” Marinette pauses. It’s the first time her husband has asked for more details.

While they’d discussed the subject earlier in their relationship, Adrien had always appeared vague about the idea of children .Whenever she broached the topic of having their own either in a joking way or as a serious question, he would always either allow the subject to die without much of his input, or directly steer away from the conversation by providing distractions.

She’d only pointed out her observations once and it was after they had gotten married.

On one hand, she’s grateful for his new curiosity but on the other...

“Well, I ended up doodling baby outfits mostly. Caught myself a couple of times and had to steer myself back to work.”

He snickers as he sips his wine.

“Marinette,” he finally says, but with less cheer. “Kids really excite you, huh?”

She quirks an eyebrow, shoulders tensing all of a sudden when he sees his eyes harden at the end of his question. He grips his knife tightly.

“Adrien?”

When she sees his eyebrows furrow, she puts down the fork she’d been holding and regards him carefully. His stare has grown half-lidded, and Adrien glances down to the table in thought.

For several seconds, he remains quiet as he takes another bite of food.

“S-should I stop?” she mutters finally, feeling small all of a sudden.

Adrien tears his eyes off the table to stare at her, nearly dropping his fork. “W-what? No, of course not, keep going,”

“Are you sure? I...you look like something’s bothering you.”

“N-no…” Adrien now frowns at her. “Mari, of course not. Why would you ever think I’d get tired of you talking about kids?”

“I..I didn’t say that. I said you looked bothered.”

He shakes his head, replaying the question. “Oh...I-I mean…” He doesn’t finish his sentence.

“Everything alright?” Marinette asks, struggling to keep her thoughts together as they begin to unravel. “You–I know you said you’re not sure about...children. Should we stop talking about it?”

“What, no! Just because I look deep in thought doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stop talking about it, Marinette. It..it’s nice to listen to.”

“You looked like you freaked out as soon as you mentioned I get excited about kids,” she says.

He sighs. Instead of carrying on with his thought, Adrien silently reaches out and takes her hands in his, careful to avoid knocking over the glasses and plates.

“What are you doing?”

He leans forward to place a kiss on top of her fingers. “Marinette,” he adds with a weak wink. “You look much more beautiful when you get excited, and that includes talking about kids.”

At his compliment, Marinette has little strength to fight back the immense blush creeping into her face despite the few months they’ve already been married. But she soon shakes herself out of her fluster and returns her expression to something more sober.

“Nice try.” She toys with her fork against her plate. “But something is definitely bothering you.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I’m fine. Why do you keep asking?”

“I just wanted to make sure–”

Her husband cuts her off. “Where exactly are you going with this, saying I look bothered and everything?” His glare intensifies and Marinette finds herself shifting in her seat.

“I…” She sighs. “Ok fine, I guess I was just worried that I was pressuring you.” She nearly mumbles that last part of the sentence.

Adrien takes one last bite of fish and swallows before answering. “Look, it’s ok. Don’t worry about it, bugaboo,” he urges her. “Remember what I told you in the pet store all those weeks ago?”

Marinette nods, unsure. Adrien carries on, “I told you I wanted to have a kid with you and I still stand by that statement.”

He puts down his fork.

“I guess the issue is when it will happen plus...a  few other concerns. I mean, if, well for one thing, if I’m ready for the responsibility, cuz I know you’re all for it, and...if it’s safe to have one.”

“Safe?”

“If we have a kid, we're going to need to be able to protect and raise them, but how can we do that if we’re superheroes and literally looking for trouble to fix right now?”

He has a point there.

Not wanting to agree with him however, Marinette answers back.

“But Adrien, it’s been ten years since we defeated Hawk Moth and his group. Nothing big has happened since then. Those things we deal with in our patrols will not have an effect.”

“You don’t know that, Mari.” Adrien’s mind goes back to his dreams but shoves the thoughts back down. "Anything can happen. What if we can’t protect them in the end?”

Marinette notices his jaw harden once more.

“We’re Ladybug and Chat Noir, Adrien,” she says. “Of course we’ll be able to protect them. And we have our friends to help us out.”

Adrien darts his eyes to the side again and hesitates about three seconds.

When he turns to her, he says,“Well, if not that, then I might go overboard with them on the flip side like Dad did with me.”

With that, their conversation grinds to a halt. For a few moments they stare at each other in silence, the air growing heavier by the second. Then, Marinette releases a held breath and utters slowly.

“Adrien, you won’t become your father.”

Her husband looks at her, unconvinced.

“You’re the _farthest_ thing from your father. I’ve seen how you are with kids,” she says. “Like whenever we’d help them in our superhero forms, or even sometimes as civilians.”

“I was just being approachable and respectful those times,” Adrien explains. “They weren’t my kids. I don’t know how I’ll get on if we had one of our own.”

“But, _chaton_ …kids like you. As Chat Noir and as Adrien, or even Mon. Agreste.”

“First of all, I doubt that about my students,” he clarifies, his voice laced with a bit of amusement. “And the other kids were just fangirls. Honestly, Marinette, raising a child is completely different. You of all people should know that.”

“I-I…” She forces herself not to scowl at him.

“Look,” he continues, taking her pause as another opportunity. “I already have mannerisms that clearly reflect either my father or my upbringing. These things?” He points to the elaborately designed coasters under their glasses. “Remember the countless times when I kept bugging you about them after we started living together?”

“And when I accidentally poked you with a needle that one time? Yeah. Adrien, I mean, that’s not a big deal, you have your preferences–”

“How about that one time I told Alya’s little sister Etta off simply because she was outside when it was raining?”

“You didn’t want her to catch a cold. She wasn’t listening to her sister.”

“My mind went straight to boarding up their door and her windows to keep them from leaving. And when I brought up that suggestion to Alya--as a joke, mind you-- and she looked at me like I was crazy. I mean sure, maybe my tone of voice didn’t sound ‘joking’ enough, but it was a crazy idea, even though I was kidding. But clearly my mind had gone straight to those high-security lockdowns at home.”

Marinette watches as her husband bites down his lips and clenches his fists. At the corner of her eye, Plagg and Tikki look at them in concern but remain quiet.

“ _Chaton_ … you–you’re not crazy.”

“But I’ll definitely be overprotective and probably won’t know when to quit. What if I make a mistake, Mari? What if I scar our kid or they turn bitter against me, like I did at some point with my father? I don’t want that to happen with my own children. Ever.”

“Adrien,” Marinette says sharply, now glowering at him. Adrien can’t help but recoil an inch in his seat, despite the frustration. “You-”

“I think we’re done here, Marinette.”

His words leech with sudden severity and immediately, Adrien flinches back with a scowl. When he looks at Marinette, she gives him a wounded glance as she gets up and reaches to take his plate.

Without thinking, Adrien leans over and grabs his plate before she can get a hold of it. To his surprise, she doesn’t protest and watches him as he brings the rest of the dishes over to the kitchen before coming back a few seconds later.

She’s planted where he left her, fists clenched and lips pursed.

“Look,” Adrien starts. “I’m sorry, Marinette.” He holds on to the back of the chair and slouches. “This is… this is just hard for me to figure out right now. I have to work on a few things.”

Not waiting for a reply, Adrien stalks over to the kitchen again, leaving her alone as the kwami float up to retire in their alcove without even a word of comfort for either of them. Marinette hears the water tap turn on as he begins washing their dishes.

After a minute or two, Marinette decides to follow him, grabbing the wine bottle and glasses he’d forgotten. She sets them down by the sink, catching his eye when he glances at her. As he rinses off the leftover scraps from their plates, Marinette steps around to stand behind him and wraps her arms around his waist, resting her head on his back.

“Mari…”

Wordlessly, she digs her face into his shirt, and clutches on the fabric. She breathes him in, smelling a mixed scent of flowers and mothballs.

Adrien puts down the dish he’d been holding and places a cold, wet hand on her arm around his abdomen. He drags his palm on her skin again as he sighs.

“I’m sorry, my lady. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you."

“It’s ok, Adrien,” she hums against him.

“To be honest, I’m just scared,” her husband continues. “And my job hasn’t given me a lot of time to think about it.”

Then, he turns to face her, ignoring the wetness of his hands and places them on Marinette’s hips. She jumps at the sensation and Adrien reflexively releases her. “Cold?”

“A bit,” she admits with a bite of her lip. But she takes his hands once more and returns them to her sides before sliding her arms up on his. She settles them around his neck and begins combing her fingers through his hair.

“And..I’m sorry for rambling so much about all of that. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m just…” He scratches the back of his head, ruffling his hair. ”...Overthinking it, I guess?”

She chuckles. “Well, whatever the case, I apologize for pushing you. If it helps, I’m honestly not in a rush right now.”

Adrien blinks, careful not to suddenly grip her too tightly. “A-Are you sure? But you’re always so enthusiastic about the thought of... having kids. Even before we got married! When you saw them, you’d get all cutesy and thrilled and you’d pull on my arm and–”

He feels her hand on his arm as she looks up at him. Her lips are pulled into the biggest, warmest grin from her he’d seen all day, and when she looks up at him, he swears he sees stars twinkle in her eyes.

“I’m sure,” she whispers.

Adrien’s shoulders relax as he leans over to rest his forehead against hers, his breath on her skin. It’s tempting, Marinette realizes, to just pull him in now and let him ravish her into the night. And she can. She would. But after contemplating it, she chooses not to, at least for tonight.

Instead, she simply relishes the feeling of his presence, the space between them providing a different sense of intimacy that’s neither purely physical or emotional. Their breathing synchronizes and she can feel his heartbeat under her palm.

But much to her luck, the moment breaks when the phone rings.

WIth a deep breath, Adrien steps away and grabs the receiver at the corner of the kitchen table. Marinette tilts her head curiously, watching her husband talk through the speaker. But after only a few seconds of “We’re fine’s”, “yes’s” and “great’s”, he places down the phone, and turns to her with a sheepish grin.

“Adrien?”

“Your parents just invited us to dinner next week.”

“Oh... great!”

“We should probably finish up here,” Adrien suggests, pointing to the rest of the dishes at the sink.

She nods, but chooses to walk over to her husband and embrace him again.

“Give me a few more minutes,” she breathes, nuzzling herself into his chest once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally getting things going though :) Like I said last time though, updating will not be as regular (just look at how I took almost a month).
> 
> But hope you enjoy and thank you for your support!! :D


	4. Winter Came Early

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And after more than a month later of revising, making new outlines, character profiles, and creating a separate version of this chapter to adjust pacing and sequences, here is Chapter 4! 
> 
> Thank you so much for your patience guys! I've been busy with other things so I've tried to chisel this thing out little by little and I just wanted to thank @geek-fashionista/PrincessKitty1 for taking the time to go over and murder this so it can be better xD jk I ❤️ u
> 
> EDIT: This will be the final chapter for the meantime, indefinitely. Please look forward to any drabbles in the future.

Meals with the Dupain-Chengs are always full of curious enquiries, updates, and not-so-meaningless chitchat, topped with a banquet’s worth of food. At least, that’s what Adrien says the moment they step out of their apartment complex. But once they’re on the next arrondissement on their way to her parents, the wind picks up, sending a chill down the street.

“Why didn’t we just take the car?” Marinette complains as she huddles closer to Adrien.

Despite the cold however, her mind drifts, flitting through the memories that she and Adrien had made over the last several years.

Their relationship had not fully blossomed until they were adults.  A rough start, but by then, Hawk Moth had been defeated, leaving them free to pursue whatever they pleased and focus their attentions on activities other than protecting the city. Marinette had welcomed the freedom. Her parents had eagerly encouraged her to pursue her dream in fashion.

Eventually, after years of training and internships, Marinette had chosen to open a boutique of her own. Start out small, she had told her parents, friends, and her husband. While it was not the most popular in Paris, it certainly held its own in the fashion world and would be visited by one or two more notable designers a month. Though, sometimes, much to Marinette’s chagrin, some visitors, notably those within Gabriel’s old circle, would come to simply ask about her husband after he had quit the industry. Fortunately, they always left things to sell for her as favors.

It had been a well-known fact among them that Adrien’s mother had helped her kickstart the new business.

A loud guffaw pops Marinette out of her thoughts.

“Hey there, you two!” Tom greets them, while leaning against the door post. “You’re early! Mom’s almost done cooking.”

Her father ushers them in, away from the winter chill. Marinette trails back, listening in on her husband and father’s conversation.

“So, how have you been, Adrien?” Tom asks, as they step onto the stairs.

Adrien makes a quick glance back at Marinette, who simply smiles at him. “Pretty good! Work’s still hard but I get by!”

“I’d certainly hope so, being a teacher sounds like a lot of hard work.”

“It is, honestly, but it’s pretty fulfilling too.”

“I remember when I had to tutor my daughter in math one time during her early collége years. I’m surprised she didn’t ask you, after you came to help her with her Chinese."

“You don’t say?” Adrien says, then turns to give the woman in question a knowing look. “I wonder why.”

Marinette makes a sheepish noise and grins, as her mind flits around in thought.

When she had introduced Adrien as her boyfriend to her parents, intentionally leaving out the crime-fighting partner part, Marinette had seen quickly how well they’d taken to him. Her parents would joke it was because of the puns but in reality, not only could he converse with them in both French and Chinese, but he’d proven himself to be quite helpful whenever he stayed for a meal or even just to play video games. Thus, her parents would spoil him whenever he was at her house and he took their hospitality without any issue. At one point, he’d even volunteered to help out in the bakery–against his father’s wishes.

Even when he’d quit the industry, Adrien remained a huge asset (no pun intended) for Marinette and her own fashion brand, offering to model for her without anything in return. In fact, her husband had turned down every other offer since quitting and chose to pursue a degree in physics education. He’d done well, all things considered, and though it wasn’t necessarily a well-paid job compared to his previous profession, Adrien clearly had a passion for it. Their old collége where they’d first met had taken him in readily when he applied for a teaching job there, inadvertently replacing Mme. Mendeliev as the physics teacher. She had been thankful of his arrival, lamenting the loss of one class in utter sarcasm.

They enter the apartment and Sabine greets them as she finishes setting the table. “Good evening, you two. Hope you had a nice honeymoon?”

Adrien makes a noise of affirmation as Marinette answers. “Yes, Maman. It was great! We had fun!”

“None of you got sunburned?” Tom asks as he washes his hand over the sink.

“Nah,” Adrien shakes his head. “Though we lost Marinette’s snorkel and my sunglasses when they fell off the boat.”

Tom raises an eyebrow, to which Adrien just grins at in response. In truth, Plagg had been the one to lose both items when he accidentally knocked them over the boat on two separate occasions while they were island hopping. He’d been sitting at Adrien’s side, far enough away that no prying eyes would spot him. When it happened, Adrien had taken the blame for it and only explained to Marinette back at the hotel room.

Plagg could still recall the period of silence she’d given him for an entire night after that.

“That’s unfortunate,” Tom remarks as he takes a seat. “The snorkel was a gift from her aunt.”

“I was looking forward to using it too,” Marinette laments. “We never go to places like that so I thought I could finally give them a try.”

“That’s ok,” Adrien says, patting her on her shoulder. “We can get a new one.”

“True enough, dear. At least none of you got hurt, right? And you had fun!” Her father strokes his moustache and beard in a long pause. “You know? I’ve always wanted to go to a tropical beach. The ones here are too cold!”

“Well, Tom, sir. If you’d like, I could sponsor–”

“Adrien.” Marinette hisses. “We don’t need to–”

Tom laughs at the exchange, interrupting them. “That’s very kind of you to offer, my boy, but unfortunately, Sabine and I are too busy to take a long vacation across the world. We had our time when we visited China after our own wedding, now it’s yours. And from the looks of your tans, you certainly made good use of the sunny hours.”

“Papa…,” Marinette moans with a roll of her eyes, tugging the sleeve of her shirt down. Adrien snickers.

“Now, who is ready for dinner?” Tom claps his hands.

They settle into their seats and Sabine passes the dishes around. Tonight, they’re having a series of Chinese dishes, including Adrien’s new favorite, wonton soup. He takes a long whiff of the pleasant and mouth-watering aroma and sighs.

“So, how’s the teaching job Adrien?” Sabine asks after taking a sip of the soup.

“Oh, it’s… going well! My students love me!” He says as he helps himself to a bowl of noodles, picking up a few wonton with it.

“Are you sure about that, Adrien?” Marinette teases, grabbing a few pieces of sweet and sour pork. “You told me all they did was groan when you announced a research paper for the semester the other day..”

“Hey, I can’t always keep my kids happy.” Adrien shrugs. “They gotta learn.”

“Right you are there, son,” Tom exclaims. “Speaking of kids… ” He gives them both the knowing eye. “Are you guys planning on having any time soon?” he asks jovially.

The question catches Marinette off guard. She glances at her father, who peers at her curiously without an ounce of malice in his eyes. But her mother’s eyebrows furrow slightly and she lays a hand on her father’s shoulder.

“Tom, you don’t need to ask them that right now,” Sabine says.

“Oh, come on, these kids have been together for a while, I’m sure the conversation has come up at some point right?” He regards Adrien specifically.

Marinette quickly grabs her husband’s hand from under the table, hoping to calm down the potential fretting and faces her parents with steely eyes.

“Yes, we’re planning on waiting at least a year before we decide,” she answers before Adrien can open his mouth.

Marinette finds herself under everyone’s gazes.

“Oh.” Tom says, blinking. “Well, that’s fair.” He shrugs, then slurps on a few noodles. “It’s not like we’re here to rush you in making grandchildren.” He guffaws,prompting Adrien to grimace.

Marinette, feeling the palpable tension disappear, relaxes her unseen hold while taking a quick glance at her husband. He’s raised his eyebrows at her and for once, she’s not sure how to read his expression. But his apparent surprise fades and Adrien looks at her parents with mirth.

“Tom, what these kids decide to do is their choice. We can’t pressure them.”

“I know, I know hon. It’s not like I was being too serious.” He winks at Marinette and she stifles a giggle. “Whatever decision you two make, we completely respect and support.”

With that, the subject drops and Marinette attempts to hide her sigh of relief. The only indication she can see of Adrien’s waning unease is in the model smile he’d developed since he was a child. But it’s much slighter now. Her parents take no notice of any changes in demeanor.

After they finish up the rest of the meal in quiet and casual conversation, Marinette offers to help wash the dishes with her mother. Adrien and Tom move over to the couches to continue chatting. Marinette is relieved to see them throwing puns at each other after that near-miss of an awkward dinner. She shakes her head, smirking softly as she rinses off each dish and wipes them down to dry. It was no wonder her father had told her previously that Adrien was like the son they never had. Tom had been overjoyed to hear directly from him that he’d been planning to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

After spending one more hour talking with her family, Marinette and Adrien bid their parents goodbye and head out into the night.

A single snowflake lands on Marinette’s nose.

Immediately, she shivers at the loss of heat. Once the door shuts behind them, she rubs her arms vehemently, trying to generate warmth for herself as snow begins to fall.

Adrien sees her and pulls her in, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Thanks, Adrien,” Marinette murmurs, teeth still chattering. She slides her arms around him so she’s hugging his chest as they step off and take a stroll down the street on their way back to the apartment. “Dang, winter came early this year,” she notes.

“Huh, you’re right,” her husband remarks. “Maybe it’s just a freak snowfall?”

“Let’s hope so. We got enough on our plate with all the global warming business,” Marinette gripes.

Adrien chuckles. As they turn the corner, a gust of wind blows through, sending biting chills through the couple. They huddle together as they keep walking, cars driving by in the cold night. The wind soon dies down.

“You alright, Princess?” Adrien asks as he wraps his arm protectively around her shoulders.

“I’m fine. Though I’m surprised you’re calling me Princess again.”

“Eh, must’ve been a slip of the tongue. Old habits, ya know,” her husband shrugs. “Unless…” He bends over to whisper in her ear. “You want me to start calling you Queen this time,” he purrs.

Marinette flushes, fighting back the urge to just halt in the middle of the sidewalk and kiss him. She stuffs one hand in her pocket, then warps the other around his arm, pulling him closer. He’s much warmer than she is at the moment, and she’s grateful.

“I’ll have to think about it,” she says coyly.

“So, what did Dad talk to you about? Couldn’t help but be curious.”

Adrien quirks an eyebrow. “Not much I guess. Just catching up. School, home life, a bit of advice...you.”

“Me?”

Adrien bats away another snowflake that falls right on the tip of his nose.

“Your dad is so proud of you, Marinette.” He gives her a warm smile, brushing his gloved fingers against her bangs. “Both your parents are.”

“Well, he does like talking about his family,” Marinette shrugs, then puts on a smug grin. “Especially now that his only daughter is married to the handsomest model and best partner ever.”

“Best partner in what, my lady? Bed?” He leans over and bares a dark, toothy smirk at her.

“Oh, no, no! You have an awful snore.”

He flinches back. “I-I do not,” Adrien pouts against his scarf with a distinct blush in his cheeks. “...Do I?”

Marinette giggles and ruffles his hair. “Only when you’re super tired. Don’t worry. You married a very heavy sleeper.”

“Hmm...Indeed I have,” he says, placing his arm around Marinette and pulling her close to nestle his nose against her hair. They continue walking.

But as they turn the corner into their street, Adrien stops, releasing his hold and surprising Marinette. She looks down. There, their master stands in front of them. He isn’t wearing his red Hawaiian shirt, having gotten rid of the item once it proved too worn-out to use. Instead, Master Fu is clad in a heavy coat that might be just a tad big on him. His hair has thinned much more in the recent years and has been looking frailer as the months go by. In fact, Marinette finds it hard to believe that he has lived this long without Wayzz and the Turtle Miraculous in his possession anymore.

“Good evening, my friends.” The old man nods. “Did you have a good honeymoon?”

“Master Fu.” Adrien bows his head in respectful greeting, prompting Marinette to do the same. “Yes, we did. Thank you. You’re doing well?”

“As well as I can be at my age.” The old man attempts to laugh, but comes out as rasps. “On your way home?” He glances at Marinette.

“Oh, yes. We just had dinner with my parents.”

Master Fu taps his cane lightly on the cement. “Good, good. At least you haven’t forgotten them.”

“Hehe, yeah.” Adrien scratches the back of his neck. “It was a good dinner!”

Master Fu looks up to him with tranquil eyes. “Glad to hear.”

“Um, with all due respect sir,” Adrien starts again after a few pauses. “Isn’t it a bit late and cold outside for you?” he asks.

“You’re right. These old creaky bones aren’t what they used to be. But I had to take a stroll. I felt...off about the air today. Well, these last few months actually.”

“Sir…?”

“Is everything alright?” Marinette chimes in. “Should we go to the doctor?”

“Ah, my dears, it’s nothing to worry about. I’m old. Maybe it’s me turning senile. It’s natural.” He gives them his reassuring smile. “And a nice walk out does help me shake off the stiffness in my limbs.”

“Are you sure, Master Fu? You did let us keep our Miraculous even if we...don’t really need the heroes anymore.”

“Trust me, Adrien, I would not have taken them back if I thought it wasn’t necessary. Now you two should be on your way. I’m sure you’re both tired.”

“Nah, just a bit full from all the food. Sabine makes wonderful soup.”

Master Fu simply nods his head. “Well I hope you have a good rest of the evening.”

The conversation ends right then and there, with Marinette unable to reply. Sensing her lack of words, Master Fu gives them a wave of goodbye before waddling off across the street, cane in hand, heading for the opposite direction to where the couple had been going. His cryptic words leave a bit of doubt, but Adrien and Marinette are quick to shake them off.

As he walks off out of sight, Marinette turns to Adrien.

“You know, speaking of Miraculous, would you... want to go on patrol tonight?” The words come out much slower than she intends.

“Patrol? But didn’t we just have dinner?”

“Yeah… I mean… we don’t have to go far. To be honest...I just wanted to go to the Eiffel Tower today.”

“My lady.” Adrien takes her hand and bows to lay a kiss on top of it. “You don’t even have to ask.”

 

***

Once again, Ladybug launches herself onto the metal beam of their secret spot overlooking the city (Chat Noir had advised they should have more than one spot on the tower to stay in, depending on their willingness for fans). They’d decided not to play chase this time, in consideration for their poor stuffed bellies, but Ladybug arrives only a few seconds after Chat Noir. No one sees them as they stand together, hidden under the shadows of the tower lights.

With a twirl of his tail, Chat Noir asks, “So how is my lovely wife doing this evening?”

Ladybug wobbles on her leg and he reaches out to steady her.

“Apparently a little out of balance!” she chirps. “Thanks, dear.”

“No problem!” Chat Noir says, before leaning over to peck her on the cheek. He lets go of her hand to sit down and lean against a vertical beam, then gestures to Ladybug to sit with him.

As she settles herself between his legs with her back against his chest, Ladybug takes a deep breath and rests her head. She feels Chat Noir breathe into her hair.

“That was some dinner, huh?” she says.

“Yeah. It was. My stomach might start complaining in a few hours but hopefully that doesn’t happen,” he remarks.

They sit in companionable silence together, Ladybug relaxed in her partner’s arms. It’s colder up where they are, the wind chill nipping at their exposed faces. But the man behind her emanates such warmth that she is able to ignore the cold. Taking another deep breath, she tilts her head up to the sky.

Ladybug gasps as she catches a glimpse of a passing shooting star. But when she is about to point it out to Chat Noir, she feels his grip on her abdomen tighten slightly and hears him cough away from her ear.

“Are you alright, _chaton?”_

“I’m fine but….Marinette?” he whispers.

She sucks in through her nose, ignoring how cold the air feels as she inhales. “Yes?” She answers.

“Were you serious….about the year thing?”

Ladybug bites her lip, looking thoughtfully down at the city.

“Well,” she begins, ”to be honest, my dad caught me off guard. You had their attention”—she glances at him—“and then it got quiet after they asked and when they were both staring at us…”

He’s peering at her now.

She carries on. “I know how you feel about kids. You made that clear last week. So I didn’t want my parents to pressure you or anything and I didn’t know if you were going to say anything so like, these millions thoughts were running in my head and well…”

Chat Noir chuckles against her. “My lady, slow down! You’re fine.”

Sighing, she admits, “I panicked, ok?” Her eyes dart to any part of her surroundings except his face.

Her husband shifts behind her so he’s more upright against the beam. Laying a gloved hand on her shoulder, he prompts her to turn around and kneel to completely to face him. “It’s ok, Mari. You’re alright.”

Finding no words on her tongue, she gazes into her husband’s eyes. Despite the cold, and the absence of physical contact, his expression warms her up to her core.

She takes his hand to squeeze it, and he responds likewise.

“But...you know,” she almost whispers to him. “I think I am serious...”

She drifts off, watching as Chat Noir’s ears perk up almost humorously.

“What?” he asks incredulously.

Ladybug clenches her jaw with newfound resolve. “I’m willing to wait as long as I need to for you to decide. I did say I was in no rush.”

“Wait, but didn’t you say a year?”

“Well, that’s what I told my parents,” she clarifies. “But it doesn’t really matter. I love you, Adrien. I don’t want us to end up raising a child without you being behind the idea one hundred percent.”

Ladybug crinkles her face, waiting for a reply. When her husband doesn’t say anything, she bites her lip again, and a sense of smallness creeps into her.

Then, to her surprise, Chat Noir pulls her in, startling Ladybug as he crushes her against him. The air grows even warmer as he wraps himself around her, collar meeting her nose. He smells of cologne, mixed with the telltale scent of forests and fading flowers. On instinct, she buries herself into him, wrapping her own arms around his back and nuzzling against his firm chest. She swings her legs around so they’re on top of Chat Noir’s thighs to make herself more comfortable.

“Thank you, my lady,” Chat Noir finally whispers in her ear. “I don’t know what this cat has ever done to deserve someone like you.”

“Oh, Adrien…”

Despite being married for a few months now, her husband never fails to send her heart into somersaults, butterflies in her stomach transforming into a chaotic kaleidoscope of wings.

“I love you so much,” he mutters, breath brushing her ear as he holds her close.

Without even giving her a chance to reply back, he pulls away for a second, keeping one arm around her and taking the other to tilt her chin up so she’s looking at him straight in the eye. Her short hair flutters in the cold breeze. Chat Noir slides his hand to caress the back of her head, pressing a thumb to her cheek to rub circles on her skin, careful not to scratch her with his claws.

“Mari...you–”

Chat Noir doesn’t get a chance to say more as Ladybug leans up and closes the distance between them, crushing her lips against his. Immediately, the fire blazes within her. With the trickling remains of her self-control, she trails her arms up slowly to his neck and begins comb her fingers through his golden hair. She feels him moving against her until his tongue begins tracing the seam of her lips. She lets him in. Their suited bodies soon weave together, limbs entwining with gentle touches and ardent strokes. Ladybug lets out a gasp once or twice when her husband finds those perfect spots he’d plotted out in the past, during their more intimate moments.

The city below them bustles despite the late hour, unaware of the lovers high above in the tower. Whispers are lost in the quiet noise of the air. No clothing shed, no skin uncovered, but once more, their souls meld together through a chorus of murmured names and breathy pants.

But the moment breaks when Chat Noir tenses his back, forcing a halt in their ministrations. He stares down at Ladybug who is now laying underneath him, framed by his arms. Biting down her pout, she sees the dreadful expression on her husband’s face.

“... _Chaton?”_

Her husband gets up, removing himself from her. He quickly glances behind him, training his eyes on the metal beam. A cloud of black appears around his hand and he balls it into a fist, Cataclysm ready. Yet, when he looks around, there is nothing.

When he releases a breath, Chat Noir looks back, his alarm reduced to an apprehensive gaze.

“I...thought I felt something,” he mutters. “Something behind me.”

“...Something?” Ladybug asks as she sits up.  
“I guess it was nothing,” Chat Noir mutters.

Then all of a sudden, another gust of winter wind blows through the tower, threatening to knock them off their perch. Without thinking, Chat Noir grabs Ladybug by the shoulder with his other hand to brace her, just in time for a flying piece of paper to snag in his claws and turn to ashes.

On cue, his ring beeps, signifying the countdown. When the wind dies down, Chat Noir lets go of his grip and wipes his face.

“You alright, my lady?” he asks as they move apart.

“I’m fine, but what about you?”

Chat Noir shakes his head out of the daze. “I’m...good. It must have been the wind, I think,” he says, sparing a nervous chuckle despite the adrenaline rushing through his body. “Sorry for freaking out.”

Ladybug lays a comforting hand on his thigh and sighs. “It’s alright.” Then she looks at his ring. “Guess it’s time to head home now, huh?”

Her husband sticks the tip of his tongue out, and she giggles at the sight. “I suppose,” he says, drooping.

“Hey.” Ladybug shifts her hand so that it’s on top of his head. She gives his hair another ruffle and he faces her with curious eyes.

“You know, we can still finish what we started at home,” she suggests with a sly smile.

Her husband’s ears perk up in delight, lips forming a predatory grin with half lidded eyes. “Well, let’s see who gets to finish first,” he purrs, before taking Ladybug’s hand so that it rests on his cheek. He turns to place a soft kiss on her wrist.

Feeling the embers within her lighting up again, Ladybug brings her other hand to his face before silently laying one more electric kiss on Chat Noir’s lips. But before he can fully reciprocate, she backs away and stands up, ignoring the sharp breeze on her face with another smug grin. She zips away before Chat Noir can say a word.

Biting back a purr, he leaps after her.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT:
> 
> Hey guys. For those who have been following this fic for awhile, I would first like to apologize. I've been struggling so much with the following chapters after this one for months so it came to a point that I was considering quitting.
> 
> Well, it's the new year, 2018. And I have come to a decision to put this fic on hold indefinitely, because of numerous factors. But I wanted this fic to at least wrap up nicely instead of the cliffhanger that was in Chapter 5 so I've modified Chapter 4 so that you guys can still feel like I didn't leave you hanging. 
> 
> But I am keeping files for Chapter 5 and onwards in hand just in case I decide to continue this fic in the future. Who knows?
> 
> Rest assured I do hope to continue exploring the love square marriage and I will be doing that in drabbles from now on.
> 
> I'm so sorry for disappointing you guys, again. Thank you so much for your support and patience, you guys. It really means a lot. Thanks for sticking by me this whole time.

**Author's Note:**

> Visit me here: https://qookyquiche.tumblr.com/  
> 


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